Pressure-operated switch



April 7, 1931- E. F. KRAMER 1,800,084

PRES SURE OPERATED SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F in N N :iaihh mw wi'i R. flhllilmlllwl Zmventor Edward Effmnwr APril 7, 1931- E. F. KRAMER v 1,800,084

PRES SURE OPERATED SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 1928 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E1 i 1 Z Ali-m 7 E17 3nve ntot dward FEM/7262' attorneys.

April 7,1931.

E. F. KRAMER 1,800,084

PRESSURE OPERATED SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3nventor Eduard Z Era/mar attorney!!- Patented- Apr. 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD FRANCIS KRAMER, NEW IBERIA, LOUISIANA rnnssunn-ornaarnn swrrcrr Application filed January 5, 1928. Serial No. 244,684.

My present invention relates to automatic fire extinguishing systems of that ty e in which the fire to be extinguished is iable to occur in substantially closed rooms or compartments, where a blanket of gas contaimng little or no free oxygen may be automatically employed to smother say fire already kindled in such closed room or compartment.

suitable gas devoid vof free oxygen may used but I prefer carbon dioxide as this is easily and cheaply prepared, and is highly eflicient in use. i To secure the best results, this gas should 1preferably be supplied by evaporation from a olders containing liquid carbon dioxide.

This as not only will not sup ort combus-' tion, ut also is not apt to i11]l1l'6 the ma-' terialswith which it comes in contact.

Such protection against fire may be provided in closed structures of man ln'nds, such as storage warehouses provi ed with individual store rooms, stores of various kinds, rooms used to store combustible materials, cellars, stora e tanks for crude oil, or other substantial y closed chambers or compartments containing goods liable to damage by fire.

I have shown the system as fitted to a tank for storing crude oil, and arranged to extinguish fires occuring either under common conditions, or caused by lightning.

M invention will be more fully understoo after reference to the accompanying drawin in which like parts are indicate 'by simi ar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Y Figure 1 is a diagram showing in elevation, the complete apparatus as arranged to extinguish the fire occurring in the crude Figure 4 is a die am showing the thermostatically contro led circuit closing arrangement. V

Figpre 5 is a detail showing th holder for t e magnetic bar used in closing the circuit, and

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the circuit closing arrangement operated by lightmng.

.A represents the oil tank in which the fire is to be extin ished. In the oil tank shown, the level 0 the oil is at A, and the bottom of the tank is shown as broken away. This tank is fitted with the usual lightning rod B with conductor b grounded as at b C represents the container or holder for the liquid carbon dioxide which may be of any sultable size according to the requirements of the system; and obviously one or more of these containers may be used if desired.

Each of these containers is sup lied with the usual reducing valve C, not s own, but these being of a well-known type will not be further described herein.

The carbon dioxide gas under pressure flows through the pipe D to the inlet passage e in the valve casing E. This casing is provided with a valve seat E below the chamber E. This chamber E is connected by the passa e E to the pipe F: which ter-. minates in t e delivery pipe F which is perforated as at f in the chamber where the fire is to be-extinguished. G represents the valve which is normally held firmly on its seat against the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas as will be hereinafter described.

This valve is connected to the valve stem G havin notches or'pawl teeth 9 near the upper en thereof, in which the spring pawl H enga es so asto hold the valveopen after it has en lifted. The up er end of the valve stem is provided wit the head G having an inclined slot g, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and in this slot the pin in carried by the lever K projects. This lever has a short arm K. connected by the pin k'to the links L, which links are connected to the in e carried by the valve casing. The ong arm K of this lever carries the weight M which may be moved in or out on the lever so as to hold the valve G on its seat with sufficient force. In order to lift the arm K of the lever against the action of this wei ht, I provide a cable or chain N which winds on the drum P carried by the shaft Q of the electric motor Q. This motor is driven ,by any suitable source of electric power such as a storage battery R. The

normal position of the valve G would be closed as shown in Figure 2, and in order to operate the electric motor, the circuit to the same, which is normally open, must be closed.

This may be done by hand by swinging the switch S from the open position shown in Figure 1 to the closed position indicated in dotted lines in said figure. Such operation would normally be only for testing purposes. The automatic closure of the circuit through the electric motor may be effected either by the thermostatical arrangement shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, or by shunt currents from a stroke of lightning, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. This automatic operation will now be described. Referring first to the thermostatical action occasioned by a rise in temperature as would occur when fire breaks out in the closed chamber, 1 and 1 are two sealed containers'filled with some gas whose pressure increases rapidly when subjected to small increases in temperature, for instance a suitable controlling medium I have found to be either li uid ammonia, or liquid surphur dioxide. t a temperature of 100 F., liquid ammonia in a closed vessel would exert a pressure of about 213.6 lbs. per square inch absolute; and at a temperature of 115 F.,' the pressure would rise to about 2692 lbs. absolute, thus giving an effective range for rise in temperature of 15 F. of lb. to the square inch.

.These containers 1 and I are connected by the pipe 2 to the curved Bourdon tube 3, seeFigures 1 and 4. In connection with this tube, provide a dial 4 over which travels the pointer 5. This pointer is pivoted as at 6 and carries a pinion 7 meshing with the sector 8, which is carried by the long arm of the lever 9, which lever is pivoted as at 10 and is connected by the link 11 to the stud 12 of the Bourdon tube 3. As this tube expends, it will on the increase of pressure cause the oi'nter to travel around the dial in the cloc wise direction. Connected to the stud 12 is the holder 13, having the jaws 14 loosely engaging the bar 15 of magnetic material such as steel or iron. This bar is secured to. the L-shaped copper piece 16 pivoted at its end to the contact v1'7. The bar 15 is normally held in the jaws 14 by means of the weak spring 18, until the force of this spring is overcome by themagnet 19.

This magnet is old at an adjustable distance from the bar 15 by means of the screw 20 and nut 21. When the bar is drawn to the magnet, the arm 16 will strike the jaw 22 of the contact piece 23 which is ivoted to the contact 24 connected to one o the wires of the circuit. the pressure rises sufiiciently in the Bourdon tube, the tube will be straightened out sufficiently to complete the circuit through the wires W and W, and this action will take place when the temperature in the top of the chamber A. rises through a sufiicient range.

The closing of the circuit through the wires W and W will complete the circuit through the electric motor, and the motor will cause the drum P to wind up on the cable N and lift the valve G ofi its seat.

In order to prevent the continuous running of the motor, any suitable automaticcut out may be provided to cut the current off from the motor after the drum has rotated through a'pre-determined number of revolutions.

Such automatic cut outs are well-known in the electrical art, and need not be further described herein.

The spring pawl H will hold the valve G lifted as long as desired.

In order to provide an audible signal in the circuit when closed, I include in said circuit an electric gong .T, which is con tinually operated as long as the circuit is closed. The 0 eration by a: shunt current from a bolt 0? scribed.

The conductor 30 led from the lightning rod passes around the electromagnet 31, see Figures 1 and 6, and this conductor is 'groundedasat 32, see Fi re 1.

When lightning strikes the lightning rod, a. considerable shunt circuit will flow through this conductor 30, and will energize the electromagnet 31 attracting iron bar 32, see Figure 6, which bar is pivoted as at 33 and has its upper end connected by the link 34 to the lever 35, which drawn backward by the weak spring 36. This lever 35-carries a contact 37 connected It will be seen that when lever is normally lightning will now be deto one of the wires'W, and spaced apart from this is a similar contact 38 connected to one of the wires W. When the electromagnet is energized, these two contacts 37 an 38 are brought together, and the circuit is closed, operation.

In order to hold the contacts 37 and 38 in engagement after the shunt circuit has left and the electric motor is put into the electromagnet, I provide a toggle arin stores, storage rooms, or other places where such protection a ainst fire is special- 1y needed, whereas tl ie effect of water sprinkler systems, when automatically operated, is often quite disastrous to the goods whose preservatlon is desired.

While the gas itself is not oisonous, it

tends also to prevent the oxi ation of the ,blood in a erson breathing too much of it; and to avoid accident to persons remaining 1 too long in rooms filled with carbon dioxide gas, a small amount of naphthalene, ammonia, or other odor bearin volatile material may be added to the car on dioxide, so as to warn such persons to open doors or windows, and not remain in the closed compartment after the fire has been extinguished ghedrem, until proper ventilation has been While I have described liquid carbon dioxide as a specially suitable type of gas adapted to smother fires from cutting ofi the supply of free oxygen necessary to support combustion and liquid ammonia as specially adapted, from its rapid expansion under small changes in temperature, for

, operating the thermostatic circuit closer; ob-

viously other suitable gases, either in the liquid or gaseous states, may be substituted for the gases just mentioned.

While I have shown one embodiment of the invention in its preferred form, it will be obvious that various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

. Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A circuit closer comprising a Bourdon tube in communication with a source of fluid under variable pressure, a holder movable with the tube and having jaws, an armature bar pivoted adjacent the tube and loosely received between said jaws, a light spring for retaining said bar against the jaws, a magnet adjustably mounted opposite the armature bar, a movable contact carried by the bar, and a fixed cooperating contact positioned to be engaged by'said movable contact.

2. A circuit closer comprising a movable switch actuating member, a holder movable with said member, an armature bar pivoted adjacent said member. and received against said holder, 8. light spring for drawing the bar against the holder, a movable contact carried by said bar, a fixed contact positioned tobe engaged by said movable contact, and ma netic means independent of said circuit situated out of magnetic influence with res eat to the bar in the initial position of the ar but within magnetic influence of the bar after the latter has been shifted on its initial movement by the movable switch actuating member for shifting the bar on its final movement to close the contacts.

EDWARD FRANCIS KRAMER. 

